The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-21
WOMEN AND MEN.
Miss Muloch's Opinions to the Submits
siveness of Women and Superiority of Men.

Philadelphia Press.
Concerning Men in Contrast to Women" is
the subject of a current article in a magazine
signed by Dlnah Muioch Craik. All her ob.
servationa. she says, have tended to confirm her
in the belief that while the average woman is
more estimabe, more lovable. and often more
capable and reliable than the average man.
there exceptional men. nobler than any
woman. for the simple reason that the mascu-
line nature is larger ana stronger. with wider
possibilities for both evil and good The creed
that woman IS the batter man in the IN ain
holds good, intellectually we'll phvsic ! y.
Morally, the writer DOUBTS it. Absolute equal
ity between the sexes she believes is impossible.
Nature sets her face cainst it by the inherent
desire in woman to look up to some one greater
than herself. to whom she can cling without
any sense of inferiority; not merely to love, but
to worship. to believe everything he says and
does is right. to be ready to live for him die
for him, and merge her own identity completely
in his. This is the nobiest half of womankind.
1t is nature. and nature is right Nature too,
lays down limits beyond which women, in the
not men, rather imitation men. but the
mothers OF men. For many of mons errors
Mrs. Craik finds women to blame. First. for
their viciousness and coarseness women being
too ignorant cOwardly to exact from men the
same standard of virtue men expect from them;
secondly, for their tyranny. because their laws
and customs of generations have placed women
much in the power Of men. and their own
warm affections make them slaves; thirdly, for
their selfshness. nurtured and devel.
from their Cradles .bsrs
being no time in their life when they arc not
bolstered up in their natural egotism by the
foolish subservience of the women about them.
Loving and serving is a woman's destiny, but it
should be done in the right way. To yield to
man when you know he is in the wrong. to
teach others to yield to him. right wrong. is
to place him a pedestal where not man
in a thousand could stand steadily. Women
should first be the wives and mothers; failing
in that, not SO much the rivals as the friends
and the helpere of men. This they can be
without attempting the impossible. and without
controvertlne the Christian doctrine that man
is the head of the woman. That, as a whole,
mon do their life work better than women Mrs.
Craik thinks a mistake. Their work is seen,
wonan's unseen. Thcr aims are larger. per-
prone get weary of well-doine. In physical
courage they excel, bet in moral courage few
men are equal to women. But" says
Mrs. Craik in conclusion. Il maintain
that some, nay manv. men found
nobler than the very noblest of women. One,
PERHAPS tolls all his life at calling he hates
he can earn the family bread. Another resigns
silently all the lawful pleasures of existence.
intellectual and social, to that same cruel me-
cessty of providing for his desriones. third
year after year. endures with sublime patience
tho fretfulness of invalid wife, the sin
and misery of drunken one "A fourth-less
tunate-having married from gratitude or i'm
pulse, year after year honoraoly and faith
fully. puts up with the companionship of 4
woman who Is no companion at all. with whom
he has not the slightest sympathy, whom he
either never loved rightly or has long ceased to
love; yet fora whole lifetime he hides this fact
ard its consequences IN his own BOSOM without
ever letting the world find out guess that hs
himself has found out what he now knows e
have been terrible mistake. Such instances
not rare are enough to prove even to the most
vrulent Of his feminine detractors that man,
made in the image of God, has something god
like about him still; something that we women
are justified in admiring and adoring. devotiug,
nav, sacrificing ourselves to him: am afraid
we shall do to the end of the chapter"